Director: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa (I Love You Phillip Morris)
Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei
Currently In Theaters
I went into Crazy with pretty low expectations. I really didn't know anything about it except that it had a bad title and it was rated PG-13. Luckily, neither of those things detracted from the movie at all. Crazy is very funny throughout with one or two hilarious scenes that will stick with me for quite a while. Ryan Gosling stands out in this ensemble as the "player" who helps Carell get over his wife, who is divorcing him. He oozes confidence and charm, and it is impossible to dislike him no matter how misogynistic he gets. Marisa Tomei also left quite an impression on my memory, although I think that had more to do with her just being a sexy beast than anything else. Crazy gets a little sappy towards the end, and the story is wrapped up a little too neatly, but overall, this was one of the better films of the summer and you should check it out.
Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde
Currently In Theaters
Unlike Crazy Stupid Love, Cowboys & Aliens was one of my most anticipated movies of the year. I love westerns, and I especially love when people try to do something new with the genre. In these two ways, Favreau succeeded with Cowboys. He captures the look and feel of a western perfectly. You can taste the grit in every scene and the panoramic shots are gorgeous. The sci-fi elements of the film are also interesting. The idea of cowboys trying to defeat such a superior force is very cool to me. Everything on the surface of Cowboys is wonderful. However, when you actually stop and think during the movie, it gets a bit funky. None of these characters are anything more than a caricature. Harrison Ford plays the Grumpy Old Man. Daniel Craig is channeling The Man With No Name as much as he can here. The problem is that Blondie was basically given no story at all, while Cowboy's entire purpose is to figure out who Craig is. The worst part of the film, though, is Wilde's character. I still have no idea why she was put in, other than to say there was a woman in the movie. She's not really a love interest and she doesn't really have anything important to say. Overall, though, I enjoyed Cowboys. It is loaded with action and it's beautiful to look at. Just turn your brain off and you'll have fun.
Starring: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving
Currently In Theaters
Honestly, I'm tired of superhero movies. I've been watching 3-8 a year for the past decade of my life. I'm pretty burned out on them at this point. I only even checked out Captain America because my brother kept bugging me until I went with him. After seeing it, I guess I need to give my bro some props. It isn't the greatest movie I've ever seen, but it's definitely worth checking out. Instead of spending the entire film on Captain America's backstory, like many first films in superhero franchises, Captain America wraps all that up in the first half, leaving the second half for some great action sequences. Acting-wise, Chris Evans is a great choice for a superhero. He just looks and sounds like a superhero should. Atwell, his love interest, is great in her role. The standout of the film, though, is Jones. Every single time he came on screen, I was cracking up. His lines and his delivery are perfect. The story revolving around Weaving's character, though, was much less successful. Every time he came on screen, I found myself impatiently waiting for the story to go back to Captain America. My biggest problem with the film, though, was the wimpy CGI character they created for Evans before he turns into Captain America. It looks awkward and silly, kind of like CGI Jeff Bridges looked in Tron Legacy. Still, Captain America is a good movie worth checking out if you like superhero stuff.
Director: Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist)
Starring: Andy Serkis, James Franco, John Lithgow
Currently In Theaters
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is easily the biggest surprise of the year thus far. While the original Planet of the Apes was pretty good, it isn't some classical piece of film. The CGI from the trailers also looked a bit sloppy at points, and there was also a rumor that Franco was badmouthing the movie before it had even come out. Having said all of that, Rise is one of the best movies I've seen this year, and it is mostly carried by Andy Serkis and his character, Caesar. Without even speaking, Caesar conveys more emotion than most other films can. Serkis brings Caesar to life perfectly, from his facial expressions to his walk. The relationship between Caesar and Franco is touching as well, though I found myself wanting more of their backstory. The action sequences at the end of the film are amazing. Specifically, that battle on the Golden Gate is one of the better scenes of the year. However, the film isn't flawless. All of the human characters except Franco are one-dimensional. Freida Pinto, Franco's love interest, literally speaks 3 lines and kisses him, and that's her entire role. Lithgow is a bit more fleshed-out, but I still knew nothing about him except that he has Alzheimer's. I really wish that the first half of the film was longer so we could have gotten to know those characters more. Having said all of that, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is one of the best movies of 2011 so far.
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